Heritage Week

Heritage Week in British Columbia is celebrated annually during the third full week in February. First celebrated in 1989 with its official opening, the Archives has since staged a broad range of events to showcase the community’s diverse heritage and storied past, including: exhibitions, open houses, educational programs, videos and its first online exhibit in 2021. Explore your local heritage and celebrate Mission’s uniqueness through the Archives during Heritage Week! Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.


Heritage Week: February 16th to February 22nd, 2026

For 2026 Heritage Week, the Mission Community Archives presents a NEW online exhibit showcasing materials from the Archives documenting the evolution of food shopping  opportunities in the community.  

GROCERY STORIES features historic photographs selected by Archivist Val Billesberger from the Community Archives extensive holdings for the Fraser Valley Record newspaper – known today as the Mission City Record – along with images donated by individuals and  families who once lived here.  

Dating between the 1890s and 2018, the photographs have been organized into 4 virtual  albums that illustrate the transformation from personal, local, clerk-assisted service by  family-owned businesses during the pioneer era to the emergence of the first chain stores  Overwaitea and Safeway followed by the establishment of a privately-owned independent  grocery store called Country Foods that fought against the “big guys.”  

This glimpse into Mission’s food shopping reveals not only where people shopped but how  technology and convenience highly influenced the development of grocery stores and their  services in the community spanning more than 125 years.


Heritage Week: February 17th to February 23rd, 2025

The Birth of Mission City

Operated by the Mission District Historical Society, this year the Archives and Museum are staging new exhibits for Heritage Week that each highlight different aspects of the community’s storied past…

Among the many things that makes the City of Mission unique is its rich historic character that include its origin.

You can discover the captivating story of how Mission came to be through two versions of an exhibit by the Mission Community Archives titled: The Birth of Mission City. 

Centered on a replica of a rare 1891 Plan of Mission City (132 X 96.5 cm) donated to the Archives in 2024, a pop-up display at the Mission Leisure Centre features historic images corresponding with the milestone events surrounding the birth of Mission City in 1891.  

Scroll below to view the online version of the exhibit which tells the story behind Mission’s origin, spearheaded by Vancouver land developer James Welton Horne.  Organized into two parts: The Plan and The Outcome, this audio story-telling slideshow highlights pivotal events that dramatically impacted the birth of Mission City, including some of the setbacks.   

After viewing either exhibit, you can test your knowledge by scanning the QR Code to take The Birth of Mission City Fun Trivia Quiz

A very special thanks to Wes Yeomans who donated the 1891 of Mission City for preservation in the Community Archives and to The McPherson Family Foundation & Top Producers LTD. for sponsoring the restoration of the highly-treasured document.

To find out more about Mission’s heritage you can book a visit HERE

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Think you know it all? Take the quiz!

Heritage Week: February 19th to February 25th, 2024

Operated by the Mission District Historical Society, this year the Archives and Museum are staging storytelling exhibits in keeping with the Your Stories, Our Mission theme by the City of Mission…

Have you ever wondered where your street got its name?  The City of Mission is one of the few communities in British Columbia that honours and promotes the community’s heritage and identity through its street naming. As such, our street names reflect our local history.

On Monday, February 19th, the Mission Community Archives is launching a NEW virtual exhibition titled Mission Street Stories.

The exhibit will feature short narratives behind 21 street names that include: historical figures who are considered to have had an impact on our community; residents who have served or lost their lives for our freedom; and Mission’s historic neighbourhoods. 

To access the exhibit, scroll below and click on the images within each of the five maps: Hatzic, Silverdale-Silverhill, Stave Falls, Upper Mission Urban Area, and Lower Mission Urban Area. A special thanks to Richard Skelton from the City of Mission’s Engineer Department who provided and customized the maps used in this exhibit.

In addition, you can view an exhibit at the Mission Leisure Centre until the end of February titled Preserving YOUR STORIES – Our Heritage. This unique, colorful display illustrates the diverse types of media the Archives houses, documenting more than 130 years of the community’s storied past.

To find out more about Mission’s heritage you can book a visit HERE

HATZIC

SILVERDALE - SILVERHILL
STAVE FALLS
UPPER MISSION URBAN AREA
LOWER MISSION URBAN AREA

Heritage Week: February 20th to February 26th, 2023


This year, through two new online exhibits by the Museum and Archives, the Mission District Historical Society invites you to discover how the camera, once a simple wooden box with a primitive lens and cap for controlling light, has undergone huge changes since its invention, and has come to play a key role in our society through its capacity to memorialize events, act as a keepsake and create visual narratives of our ever changing cultural landscape

PICTURE THIS! features a selection of photographic works by Dr. Noel Hall (1930-2017), a self-taught photographer and highly esteemed member of the community. 

Often the only photographer on the scene shooting colour, Noel’s impressive archives of over 30,000 images were donated by him to the Archives in 2000 representing an unparalleled visual record of the community.

Presented through six theme-based virtual photo albums: Mission From The Air, Places That Matter, Mission Sikh Temple, Mission Events, Mission Milestones, and Fraser River Heritage Park. Archivist Val Billesberger explains “PICTURE THIS! aims to transport viewers back in time to glimpse Mission during the 1980s and 1990s through aerial views of the landscape and a selection of images documenting community landmarks, pivotal events and more.”


Heritage Week: February 21st to February 27th, 2022


An important part of the Mission Community Archives holdings are aerial photographs acquired from a variety of sources, including: the Fraser Valley Record newspaper, the municipal government, local families and organizations.

Our virtual exhibit MISSION from ABOVE features 24 incredible images dating from the early 1900s to the 1990s presented under 6 categories: Buildings, Mission Bridge, Historic Neighbourhoods, Parks & Recreation, Viewscapes and the Waterfront

Individually and collectively these aerial photographs provide an invaluable visual record of changes to the landscape and land use over time. CLICK the individual images below and see for yourself. . .ENJOY THE VIEW!

Please email your comments about the exhibit.

VIEWSCAPES

BUILDINGS

MISSION BRIDGE

Parks & Recreation

Historic Neighbourhoods

WATERFRONT

The Mission Community Archives is a branch of the Mission District Historical Society, a charitable non-profit organization that relies on the generosity of individuals and businesses to help us share the story of our community and the people who call it home.

Donations allow us to continue developing new exhibits and programs so we can make more of Mission’s storied past avaiable to you!